Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $702 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$702

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dar es Salaam and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dar es Salaam and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $702 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $702
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,108 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,108
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,514 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,514
Phuket $3,154

Dar es Salaam is about 45% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dar es Salaam and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Dar es Salaam 48% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.87 TZS 4,890

$4.47 ฿151

-58.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.77 TZS 49.2K

$32.41 ฿1,092

-42.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

$8.81 ฿297

-12.37%

Cappuccino

$2.01 TZS 5,272

$2.83 ฿95.3

-28.98%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 TZS 981

$0.87 ฿29.37

-57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 577

$0.49 ฿16.64

-55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 TZS 2,431

$2.56 ฿86.2

-63.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 TZS 4,905

$3.68 ฿124

-49.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 TZS 2,157

$1.66 ฿55.9

-50.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 TZS 1,622

$1.46 ฿49.25

-57.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 TZS 2,865

$1.50 ฿50.4

-27.33%

Eggs

$1.85 TZS 4,845

$2.09 ฿70.4

-11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 TZS 24.0K

$19.07 ฿642

-51.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 TZS 12.4K

$3.30 ฿111

43.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.00 TZS 10.5K

$10.91 ฿368

-63.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 TZS 6,481

$2.93 ฿98.7

-15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,800

$1.69 ฿56.9

-36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,694

$2.25 ฿75.7

-54.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 TZS 2,324

$2.08 ฿70.0

-57.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 TZS 2,442

$1.51 ฿50.9

-38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,593

$1.38 ฿46.47

-28.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 TZS 2,173

$1.07 ฿35.91

-22.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,011

$0.52 ฿17.49

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 TZS 5,605

$4.20 ฿142

-49.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 TZS 19.0K

$18.79 ฿633

-61.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 TZS 2,395

$1.82 ฿61.4

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 TZS 4,020

$2.84 ฿95.7

-45.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 681

$1.45 ฿48.93

-82.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.54 TZS 38.1K

$56.7 ฿1,909

-74.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 TZS 4,355

$3.02 ฿102

-45.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 TZS 3,992

$1.02 ฿34.29

49.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.17 TZS 34.5K

$3.69 ฿124

256.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 TZS 3,561

$1.47 ฿49.70

-7.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$16.5K TZS 43.2M

$26.8K ฿902.4K

-38.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.4K TZS 69.1M

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-1.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$55.6 TZS 145.7K

$96.4 ฿3,247

-42.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.20 TZS 24.1K

$11.26 ฿380

-18.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.86 TZS 88.7K

$16.85 ฿568

100.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.9 TZS 219.8K

$67.2 ฿2,266

24.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.73 TZS 25.5K

$10.73 ฿361

-9.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

$7.50 ฿253

-33.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$559 TZS 1.5M

$476 ฿16.0K

17.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K TZS 34.2M

$11.3K ฿379.6K

15.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.31 TZS 40.1K

$62.4 ฿2,102

-75.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.76 TZS 67.5K

$28.41 ฿957

-9.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.36 TZS 116.2K

$94.3 ฿3,178

-52.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 TZS 153.8K

$85.8 ฿2,892

-31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 TZS 1.5M

$716 ฿24.1K

-21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 TZS 510.0K

$491 ฿16.5K

-60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 TZS 3.5M

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-30.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 TZS 1.1M

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-69.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 TZS 4.0M

$4,175 ฿140.7K

-63.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 TZS 2.8M

$3,045 ฿102.6K

-65.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 TZS 746.4K

$502 ฿16.9K

-43.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

5.57

227.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$195 27.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 152% $296

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 75.7% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 26.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 12.4% $12

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 66.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 87.9% $57

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 184% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Dar es Salaam versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dar es Salaam versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $266 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

12:08 12:08 PM

4 h ahead of Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

79,308

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,916 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dar es Salaam Phuket 6,750 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Dar es Salaam
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dar es Salaam vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,052 per month in Dar es Salaam and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dar es Salaam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $565 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $559 per month in Dar es Salaam and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dar es Salaam, where all-in costs run around $702, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $702 in Dar es Salaam to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Dar es Salaam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.